Video: C7 and C6 Seats Compared

Have you ever wondered when Chevrolet was going to get around to designing a seat that actually belongs in a Corvette? The time is now, and it couldn’t come any sooner. Finally, the seats in the new C7 Corvette Stingray have answered all of our prayers. Seen in the video above is a comparison between the bleak, outdated seat in the C6 Corvette, and the redesigned, all-around more practical seat in the C7. Car and Driver’s Eric Tingwall shows us the differences from generation to generation.

The biggest difference in the C7 seat is the base. The C7’s seat has a steel base, giving it a more contoured feeling when sitting in it, as to where the C6’s seat would just give that sinking, unsupportive feeling. The next big improvement in the C7 seat is the backing. It is still a composite-backed seat, but there is now a cast magnesium frame, stiffening the frame under conditions such as lateral g-forces and normal daily driving. The C6 seat had a lot of flex from its composite structure, especially in lateral acceleration, making the seat just feel cheap. We’re pleased to see that Chevrolet has assessed that issue.

A couple of smaller details have been added to the design of the seat as well, one of them being a motorized adjustment of the seat recline angle. The C6 seats, all the way up to the ZR1, still had that cheap-feeling plastic lever for adjusting the back of the seat, which we’re glad they did away with. The other little detail is the addition of ventilation. The C7 seats now have three fans, no larger than computer cooling fans, to cool the seat if needed.

The C7 seat in the video above is the Grand Touring model, one of two seat options for the C7. The Competition Sport seats, which use a firmer foam and have deeper side bolstering, will offer a much more “planted” feel for normal driving and track use as well. We can’t wait to see how these seats feel and test out their versatility.

About the author

Josh Kirsh

Born in Van Nuys, Raised in Murrieta, Joshua Kirsh is a SoCal Native. With a love for anything on wheels since the ripe young age of two, Joshua Managed to turn his love for automobiles into a career. As Power Automedia's newest writer, he plans to bring you some of the industry's hottest news topics while he's not out in the shop wrenching on some of our badass in-house project builds.